Warning device for piston cylinders



March 24, 1953 R c oo s o 2,632,420

WARNING DEVICE FOR PISTON CYLINDERS Filed May 1, 1950 I I6 F/G./.

E g; 34 I4 INVENT Robert R. Crook n,

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 WARNING DEVICE FOR PISTON CYLINDERS Robert R.Crookston, Houston, Tex., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Standard Oil Development Company, Elizabeth, N..L, a corporation of Delaware Application May 1, 1950, Serial No.159,170

6 Claims.

The present invention is directed to a warning device for pistoncylinders. More particularly the invention is directed to a warningdevice for indicating overstroking of air cylinders. In its morespecific aspects the device has to do with a warning device forindicating the necessity of adjusting brakes on drilling drawworks.

Prior to the present invention it has been known to employ air operatedbrakes on drawworks. In U. S. Patent 2,489,449, issued November 29,1949, in the name of Robert R. Crookston and in application Serial No.691,485 filed August 19, 1946, for Robert R. Crookston, now U. S. Patent2,589,059, issued March 11, 1952, are described apparatus for brakingdrawworks assemblies. The aforesaid patents for Crookston supra mayemploy air cylinders for causing actuation of the brakes in controllingthe drawworks. However, in employing such assemblies including an aircylinder, the brake lining becomes worn on practically continualapplication to a rotating drum causing the piston assembly in the pistoncylinder to assume an ever increasing stroke. If an air cylinder isemployed including the piston which does not have some sort of warningdevice embodied therein, there is considerable danger of the cylinderparts becoming damaged by the piston overstroking and striking thecylinder head. Operators of drilling rigs have employed warning devicesnot integral parts of an air cylinder employing a piston member. Thedrilling crew frequently disconnect such warning devices or make theminoperable by plugging the devices so that the warning signal is notemitted. However, such action appears to be a natural consequence ofhuman behavior since the warning signals are irritating and require themachine to be adjusted to cut off the signal. Of course, a simplerexpedient, which has been adopted by drilling crews, has been simply todisconnect the warning signal, leaving the equipment in danger of beingdamaged by the piston cylinder being moved against the cylinder head.

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide awarning device to be used on piston cylinders which is an integral partof the piston cylinder assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a built-in warningdevice which cannot be disconnected by the operator.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a devicefor indicating overstroking of piston assemblies.

' bination of the present invention. The warning which a gasiform fluidmay be injected. Arranged in the cylinder ahead of the inlet is a pistonto which is attached a piston arm which may be connected to any machineand for the purpose of illustration may be connected to an air brake fordrawwork assemblies as described in the aforementioned patents forCrookston supra, and in U. S. 2,472,467. The piston may have attachedthereto a stop member which will allow the piston to travel only a fixeddistance in the cylinder to avoid striking the cylinder head. The pistonarm which is attached to the piston cylinder defines an elongatedconduit or passageway into which is arranged a longitudinal member or anactuating arm which moves slidably therein and is. adapted to causefluid communication between the inlet of the piston cylinder and thelongitudinal passageway on actuation by its striking against a cylinderhead of the piston cylinder. Arranged in the conduit or passagewayremote to the longitudinal or actuating arm is a warning device such asa siren type whistle or an air horn or a simple whistle employing a reedor vibrating assembly which causes a sound to be emitted on the flow ofgasiiorm fluid thereby. The piston assembly is adapted to be urgedtoward the inlet end of the cylinder by a tension means while thelongitudinal member or actuating arm is urged against a seating assemblyby a tension means arranged in the longitudinal passageway or conduitintermediate the actuating arm and the warning device. The piston arm isadapted to be attached to a braking assembly as described in theaforementioned patents, supra, to Crookston.

The present invention will be illustrated by reference to the drawing inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment thereof Fig. 2 is aview showing another embodiment of a warning device for use in thecombination of the invention. This figure shows a siren-type air whistlewhich is of a different design from that of Fig. 1 and which may besubstituted for the siren-type whistle of Fig. 1; and r i Fig. 3 is aview showing another embodiment of a warning device suitable for use inthe comdevice of this embodiment is an air horn.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral ll designates an air cylinderdefining an inlet I2 and an outlet l3. Outlet 13 actuallyi's a breatherThe apparatus of the present invention inhole for the tail end of thepiston to allow air or fluid to be exhausted from the piston cylinder aswill be described. Arranged in cylinder H vis a piston member 14provided with annular sealing members IE to cause a seal between thepiston l4 and the interior surface of cylinder ll. Piston I4 is providedwith a stop It and a piston arm or rod I! attached thereto. In stop [6and protruding'into chamber I I is a longitudinal member or actuatingarm l8 which also protrudes into an internal conduit or passageway l9defined by piston arm 11. Actuating arm 18 makes a sliding fit with stopI6 which is sealed by O-ring 20. Arm it makes a seal with annularshoulder 2i and O-ring 22 against passage of fluid into conduit [8through lateral passageways 23 defined by piston arm ll communicatingwith the interior of cylinder II and thereby withinlet i 2. Piston armI? is sealed against loss of ,fiuid by a sealing ring or annular seal 24abutting against a shoulder 25 of piston cylinder ll. Arranged in pistonarm I! is a siren type whistle 26 having rotating vanes 26a. Urgingactuating arm 58 against the shoulder 2! is a tension means 2?illustrated by helical coil spring arranged in conduit or passageway i9.Communicating and forming a part of passageway !9 are ports 28 whichallow gasiform fluid to be introduced into the Warning means. Thewarning mean 25 is provided with a hollow retaining nut 29 provided withoutlets 25a to the atmosphere. Retaining nut 29 is surrounded by aconnecting or knuckle joint 38 attached thereto which may be employed inattaching the piston arm to the device to be actuated thereby such asair brakes and the like.

Urging piston H3 against the end adjacent the inlet thereof is acompression means 3! illustrated by a helical coil spring. Thecompression means 3| is arranged in a recess 32 defined by cylinder head33 and a corresponding recess 34 defined by piston id.

Referring now to Fig. 2, numeral 50 designates a housing or caseenclosing a siren-type air whistle which may be used in lieu of thewarnin means 26. The housing 68 is provided with a plurality of inletports H by way of which air or other gasiform fluid is introduced to thesirentype air whistle from the passageway I9. Ar-

. ranged in the housing 49 is a rotor 42 which rotates in bearings 43and M. Arranged immediately below the rotor 62 is a ball bearing 55 forease of rotation of the rotor 42. The head piece 46- provides a recessedspace in which the bearing 44 and ball bearing 45 are inserted. The headpiece 45 also defines outlet ports 4'! for discharge of the sound fromthe siren-type air whistle.

In Fig. 3 is shown an illustration of an air horn '50 which may be usedin lieu of the warning means 26 or the siren-type air whistle describeda inFig.2.

Referring now to Fig. 3, an-air born 59 is provided with a base memberin which is arranged a diaphragm 52. A passageway 53 in the base member5i communicates with passageway i9 by a flexible conduit l9a and allowsair or other gasiform fluids to be forced against the dia- 'phragm 52.Arranged in contact with the diaphragm 52 is an adjusting means 54surrounded by an adjusting spring 55. The adjusting means 54 and spring55 have compression placed thereon by an adjusting screw 56 which isheld in place by alock-nut 51. Connected to the base member 5| is athreat 58which terminates in an open end bell 59 for'amplification ofthe sound.

I The present invention may be operated as follows: Assuming that theknuckle joint 31? is connected to an airbrake of the type describedsupra inthe pending applications to Crookston, air or other'gasiformfluid is introduced in the cylinder II by inlet I2. This air underpressure urges piston member 14 upwardly causing corresponding movementof the piston arm I1 and tightening of air brakes not shown. If the airbrakes are worn or need replacing there is a tendency for the piston isto travel as far as the piston cylinder will allow it and, in fact thereis danger of it striking against the'cylinder head 33. However the stopmember i6 is designed to prevent the piston i from striking pistoncylinder head 33, but if the stop member struck the head 33, both thestop member and the cylinder head might be damaged. In accordance withthe device of the present invention the actuating arm or longitudinalmember 18 strikes against head 33 and is thereby caused to movedownwardly. As the actuating arm 18 moves down the tension means 2? iscompressed and the seal between the O-ring 22 and the shoulder 2| isbroken allowing air from inlet 52 and cylinder l l to travel throughpassageway 23 into conduit i9 and thence through warning device 2%, thesounding of which indicates to the operator that the piston isover-stroking. In an operating unit the total stroke of the piston isapproximately 3 inches whereas the warning device begins to sound on atravel of 1% inches precluding any damage to the apparatus. When theadjustment is made, the spring or tension member 2'5 returns the arm 18to its inoperative position and when air is released from inlet 52 thehelical spring 3! causes the piston member id to move down toward theinlet end. Any air which has leaked past the annular seal I5 into thechamber defined by cylinder H may be eX hausted by breather hole Hi.This outlet serves merely to prevent compression of air in the cylinderI5 and to allow ready functioning of the apparatus.

I The modification of Figs. 2 and 3 operate similarly to that of Fig. 1.In Fig. 2 the air from passageway I9 is introduced through ports 4|which causes the rotor 46 to rotate radially and on passage throughopening ,8 causes the emission of the warning sound.

Similarly, the device of Fig. 3 is activated by air or gasiform fluidintroduced through passageway 53 from passageway H) which causes thediaphragm 52 to vibrate and generate sound waves which are dischargedthrough throat 58 and bell 59. V 7 Q It will be apparent from theforegoing description taken with the drawing that the apparatus of thepresent invention cannot be dismantled or inactivated without theoperator dismantling the whole apparatus in View of the built-infeatures and in view of the warning device being made an integral partof the apparatus.

It will be understood that alterations may be made in the relativesizes, shapes and positions of the parts of the apparatus of the presentinvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. r V

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completelydescribed and illustrated, what I'wish to claim as new and useful andsecure by Letters Patent is:

1 A device for indicating piston overstroking which comprises, incombination, apiston cylinder having an inlet at one end thereof for agasiform fluid, a piston arranged in said cylinder ahead of said inletprovided with a stop member for preventing said piston from travelingbeyond a fixed point in said cylinder, compression means in saidcylinder adapted to return said piston to the inlet end thereof, apiston arm attached to said piston provided with a longitudinalpassageway extending substantially the length of said arm and a lateralpassageway communicating with said inlet and said longitudinalpassageway, a longitudinal member protruding through said stop memberinto said cylinder and extending through said piston into saidlongitudinal passageway, sealing means in said longitudinal passagewayadapted to prevent passage of fluid from said inlet to said longitudinalpassageway, tension means urging said longitudinal member against saidsealing means, and a gasiform fluid operated warning means attached tosaid piston arm in said iongitudinal passageway.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the warning device is asiren type whistle.

3. A device for indicating piston overstroking which comprises, incombination, a piston cylinder having an inlet for a gasiform fluid, apiston arranged in said cylinder, a piston arm attached to said pistonprovided with a conduit extending a substantial portion of the length ofsaid arm and a lateral passageway communicating with said conduit andsaid cylinder, an actuating member in said conduit protruding throughsaid piston and into said cylinder, and a warning device attached tosaid piston arm in said conduit in remote relationship to said actuatingmember and said lateral passageway and adapted to be operated by agasiform fluid introduced through said passageway into said conduit byimpingement of said actuating member against a head of said cylinder.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 in which the piston is providedwith a fixed stop member for limiting the travel thereof.

5. A device in accordance with claim 3 in which the warning device is asiren type whistle.

6. A device for indicating piston overstroking which comprises, incombination, a piston cylinder having an inlet for a gasiform fluid, apiston arranged in said cylinder, a piston arm attached to said pistonprovided with a conduit extending a substantial portion of the length ofsaid arm and in fluid communication with said chamber, a warning deviceadapted to be operated by a gasiform fluid attached to said piston armin said conduit, a sealing member arranged in said conduit to assume asealing position, sealing said warning device from said chamber andmovable to an open position to allow communication between said warningdevice and said chamber, an actuating member for said sealing memberarranged in said conduit and protruding into said cylinder and adaptedto be operated by impingement against the head of said cylinder to movesaid sealing member from its sealing position to its open position.

ROBERT R. CROOKSTON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hellmann May 5, 1925Number

